This invention relates in general to basketball equipment and more particularly to shock absorbing assemblies for installation upon basketball backboards to enhance resistance thereof to damage through forces applied during the course of a game.
Heretofore, there has been increasingly utilized by basketball players a particular scoring shot referred to as a "dunk" shot whereby the player, having jumped a sufficient height, is enabled to drive the basketball downwardly through the basket from a point immediately thereabove. In the course of performing this particular shot, a player will most consistently effect a most forceful contact with the basket by either slapping, hitting, or pulling upon same with his hands, wrists, or arms. This last mentioned contact with substantial consistency tends to be so forceful that the backboard which is recognizedly of temper-plate glass is stressed beyond its elastic limits and thus completely shatters. A glass backboard, as of the type used in professional, college, and high school, is of an area of 24 square feet so that the quantity of broken glass which is sprayed about constitutes a hazard of serious proportions; providing both a potential to injury to the players as well as the spectators who are nearby. In addition to the marked possibility of personal injury, such damage represents a severe economic loss in view of the need for replacement and the necessary re-installation. Moreover, such damage can also cause a cessation of the particular game with a disruption as to the rights of the ticket holders.
Heretofore, very limited efforts have been made to try to render backboards resistant to dunk damage and the lack of success of such few efforts has caused the problem to remain unsolved yet being deprecated by players and on-lookers alike. Among such unsatisfying efforts are the structures set forth in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,111,420 and 4,191,734. These patents while revealing shock absorbing means, as of cylindrical nature, disclose pivotal mountings for the basketball goal. Thus, the goal is mounted for forward rocking about a hinged axis parallel to the plane of the backboard so that the goal will rock downwardly under the force of the dunk shot. Similarly, the goal is mounted for rockable movement as about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the backboard so that the goal is thereby free to rock laterally. In addition, these patents provide structure so that the entire backboard would be free to rock. It can be appreciated that these structures are of such complex character that the same cannot be easily and economically adopted for usage. The use of the same would necessitate a replacement of all existing backboards and this would represent an economical loss of infinite proportions. Consequently, these structures have not been adopted as the utilization is not economically feasible.
Another effort to prevent the destruction of basketball backboards through performance of the dunk shot is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,989, but admittedly the basketball goal shown therein is intended solely for practice purposes as it is located at the end of a cantilever boom which has associated shock absorbing members in its zone proximate the supporting upright. But manifestly, this device is not even suggested as being amenable for game purposes and furthermore does not incorporate any element corresponding to a backboard.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing assembly for a basketball backboard fabricated of shatterable material, such as glass, which may be easily and cheaply mounted upon existing backboards and which does not in any way alter the normal disposition of the basketball goal which is at all times rigidly presented in its customary, accepted manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing assembly for use with basketball goals which uniquely protect a frangible backboard against the normal destructive forces applied through the exercising of the dunk shot without modifying the backboard or the goal in any manner as to cause the goal to be misplaced or to be displacable from its usual manner of presentation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing assembly for basketball backboards which comprises a marked paucity of parts, all of which are of simple construction and of extreme durability so that replacement of any of such components is of marked unlikelihood.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing assembly for basketball backboards which provides no element of interference with the usual playing of the game of basketball; the components of which assembly may be most economically manufactured; which assemblies are extremely reliable in usage; and which assemblies may be installed upon existing backboards without the necessity of engaging highly skilled individuals.